Becky Bartlett (letter Jan. 22) errs badly on the Keystone Pipeline project to deliver Canadian petroleum to Texas refineries. Asserting that this large undertaking would provide only a few hundred temporary jobs fails the laugh test. Credible assessments expect 20,000 jobs, not counting secondary employment.

She paints the absurd picture of ruptured pipes covering the landscape with petroleum with the only significant jobs being hazardous materials workers doing cleanup. Pipelines provide the safest means for transporting oil surpassing ships, railcars and trucks.

She’s wrong about there being insufficient time for a proper safety study. Keystone has been studied since 2008 and deemed environmentally safe. It only became an issue when wealthy extremist groups drew a line in the sand and twisted President Obama’s arm.

The drive to kill Keystone isn’t about safety. Extremists fantasize that without Keystone, Canada stops producing oil, carbon stays underground and global warming is controlled. Total silliness. Canada has a backup plan for a pipeline to its Pacific coast for delivering oil to ships bound for China. America would then buy less oil from a friendly, stable neighbor, and more from the unstable Middle East. Brilliant!

Americans are increasingly rejecting the man-made global warming theory. So alarmists now repackage their initiatives to look like something else – like pipeline safety. Their objective remains to starve America of fossil fuels.

Most Americans understand that a contemporary society can’t be powered by sunshine and gentle breezes. We all must push back against this global warming fraud that will ruin us.

JAMES M. POLICELLI

Plainfield Township

Reject cemetery development

As a resident of Washington, I agree with Dave DeSanto on the so-called development of the cemetery property (“Cemetery expansion will mar Washington hillside,” letter, Sunday).

We already have many existing homes for sale in the borough. Why allow a developer to build more and ruin critical wooded area? The property already looks like a strip mining operation. The wet weather is already causing erosion. The slope is wholly unsuitable to construction. It’s all about the money. Follow the money and you’ll find out who’s behind all this nonsense.

LAURA MCDONALD

Washington

Save treasured parkland from utility companies

Power utilities are offering to provide $30 million to purchase destruction of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area and the Appalachian Trail. They have developed a mitigation plan by land acquisition.

First and foremost, one cannot mitigate for the destruction of a national park. The proposed Susquehanna-Roseland Project would ruin the protected mature scenic beauty and breathtaking vistas as well as critical natural resources. A visitor’s experience just would not be the same.

Secondly, the industry will not exactly be paying for multimillion-dollar land acquisition for a proposed land swap. Consumers will pay for this land acquisition in their electric bills. Citizen consumers already purchased the park land, now so desired by the utility companies. The industry wants to use that protected public land for their shareholder profit and have the citizen consumers pay to acquire new land for a trade. Publicly purchased/publicly owned land will be asked to be swapped for some newly purchased land to be bought by the public. What is wrong with this picture?

National parks are held in the public trust for a reason and it is not to fill the pockets of utility shareholders at the expense of the rest of the citizenry. The National Park Service should keep the charge it has and stand firm to protect the established park, not conceding to any industry second-rate scheme.

NANCY CHAMBELLAN

Hope Township

Paterno bashers put to the test

This is an open letter to the detractors of Penn State coach Joe Paterno who have taken to all kinds of media to bash the late teacher and coach.

I would ask you all to perform two tasks. The first takes only seconds, and it simply requires you to look in a mirror and ask this question: Does the person looking back at me have even a fraction of the service to humanity that Paterno had? The second test takes a bit more effort, but I have done it, and so can you. Talk to people who know the man personally, talk to some former players and talk to people who have been side by side with Paterno on charity work and other humanitarian gestures and ask them all their perception of the man you have bashed. Pay close attention to what his former players say about how he helped them develop their lives after football and helped them become who they are today

After performing these two tests, ask yourself: Do I really still have the need to bash this good man publicly or is it time to move on?

Sixty one years of service to mankind and to the university he loved. Match that record and then come talk to me.

I admit I cannot ever match what he did and it is time for you detractors to do the same.

CHARLIE HENRY

Bethlehem Township, Pa.

Freeholders’ cut will hurt Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hunterdon Somerset & Warren Counties has been providing youth mentoring programs in Hunterdon County for more than 30 years. In 2011 we served more than 100 children in our mentoring programs in the county. We were recently notified that the Hunterdon County Board of Chosen Freeholders is cutting our funding for 2012. The loss of this $15,163 will result in fewer children being mentored with Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

We are asking the freeholders to reconsider this decision. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs benefit children in many ways. Children matched in our program have increased self-esteem, improved academic performance, resort less to the use of drugs and alcohol and enjoy better family and peer relationships than their nonmatched counterparts.

Our agency is improving children’s lives during these very challenging economic times and needs the support of the Hunterdon County Board of Chosen Freeholders to continue our mission.

GARY DAILEY

Easton

Board President

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hunterdon Somerset & Warren

Nazareth area family isJoePa, Penn State proud

Being the father of five sons, four that are Penn State graduates, two daughters-in- law, two grandsons that are Penn State grads and two other grandchildren who are juniors at main campus I am appalled that the Penn State Board of Trustees did not reverse its decision and give Joe Paterno the recognition he deserved for all that he has done and contributed to Penn State.

There will never be another like him in the history of PSU or college football, both for his achievements on the football field and what he did for the lives of the young men who played for him.

You all should be ashamed of yourselves because he will not be here to hear whatever is done or said after the fact.

JoePa will always be remembered as our Penn State hero in this family.

HARRY G. ADAMS

Nazareth

Red light cameras make intersections dangerous

I am writing this because the red light cameras in Pohatcong Township are a hazard! A couple of weeks ago I was traveling down Route 22 near the ShopRite. I was coming up to the light, which just turned yellow. I was going the speed limit mind you. I was about 20 feet from it, but I chose to slam on my brakes because I knew if I went through it I would get a ticket!

My point being is now they have turned the yellow light into a red light!

If you’re traveling a pretty good speed and you’re right on top of it when it just turns yellow you have to slam on your brakes to stop or, low and behold, you now have a ticket!